


Pancakes

by anotherfngrl



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Cooking, Cooking Lessons, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Gil Arroyo Acting as Malcolm Bright's Parental Figure, Gil Arroyo is Malcolm Bright's Parent, Good Parent Gil Arroyo, Good Parent Jessica Whitly, Mother's Day, Pancakes, bonus mom Jackie, jessica whitly is doing her best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29552493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anotherfngrl/pseuds/anotherfngrl
Summary: "Gil, Jackie, I need your help."Sometimes, eleven year old Malcolm Whitly actually has normal little boy problems.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Jackie Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, Gil Arroyo/Jackie Arroyo, Jackie Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, Malcolm Bright & Jessica Whitly
Comments: 19
Kudos: 42
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2021





	Pancakes

**Author's Note:**

> For a comment!fic prompt: Gil+Jackie+Malcolm, he needs their help

"Gil, Jackie, I need your help."

The sentence makes Gil jump to his feet, ready to grab his keys and head out the door when the little voice on the phone speaks it. Jackie holds out a hand, halting him.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" she asks. Gil's glad he put the phone on speaker- he can hear Malcolm while he gets his keys and shrugs on his coat, so he knows what the kid needs before he heads over.

Malcolm has had a rough time, since he saved Gil's life and outed his father as a serial killer in the process. Gil has tried to fill that void for the kid where he can, and Jackie does her best to look after both Whitly kids when Jessica is at her breaking point.

"I don't know how to make pancakes," Malcolm announces with little boy seriousness.

Jackie chuckles, as Gil slowly returns to the couch. "Why do you need to make pancakes, champ?" he asks carefully. This  _ sounds _ like a normal little boy problem, but he's not going to get too complacent yet- Jessica's been having some rough days. She may not have been up to dealing with the servants moving through the house tonight, and when she sends them home she tends to forget she doesn't know how to cook.

If that's what it is, it won't be the first time he's picked the kids up and brought them to a diner for a late supper, bringing them home and tucking them into bed before bringing Jessica a to go box with something light- a sandwich or a salad, that'll be okay if it takes her a bit to work up the energy to eat it- before locking their big house up safe and returning home to Jackie. And it probably won't be the last. He doesn't mind- he's amazed at how strong Jessica has been, through all of this. There's no harm in needing a little help, sometimes.

"This weekend's Mother's Day," Malcolm explains.

Now Gil is really lost. He's about to ask for clarification when Jackie puts a hand on his arm, silencing him, and says, "And you want to make your Mom breakfast?"

"Yes!" Malcolm shouts into the phone, pleased. "But I'm not allowed to use the stove unsupervised, and I don't even know what goes in pancakes," he reports.

Jackie considers this. "I can help you make some, and show you how to heat them up in the microwave," she offers. Malcolm  _ is _ allowed to microwave food, which helps infinitely with preparing meals for himself and his sister when needed. He's grown up fast. Gil is proud of him, these past few months. He’s been a big help to his mom, even as he processes his own trauma and grief.

"Would you  _ really?” _ Malcolm asks, excited.

"I sure would!" Jackie promises.

It's Friday night. Gil isn't on duty tomorrow. "How about I come pick you up after lunch, and you come over here and learn to make pancakes?" he offers.

"Yeah!" Malcolm cheers. He pauses. "Just us? Ainsley and Mom were talking about shopping, but I told Mom I needed your help with something."

"Just us, kid," Gil assures him. They say their goodnights, and Malcolm gets off the phone.

He has very specific plans when Gil picks him up the next day. "We need to stop at the grocery store," he explains, holding up a formerly crisp $20 now hopelessly crushed by his little fist.

"We have the stuff to make pancakes, bud," Gil assures him.

Malcolm shakes his head. "No. For Jackie. I know she's not my Mom, but it's Mother's Day tomorrow, and she's kind of like my bonus mom? I want to get her some flowers," he explains. "Ains used Mom's credit card to order  _ Mom’s  _ online, but I wanted to pick Jackie's out myself."

They stop for flowers. Malcolm chooses a cheery bunch of sunflowers for his 'bonus mom' and a bag of Peanut M&M's, her favorite. He's very pleased with his purchases as they head over to the house.

"Malcolm! It's so good to see you," Jackie says, hugging him tight when they walk through the door. 

Malcolm has his prizes tucked behind his back, and he holds them up shyly. "I thought Mother's Day could be for people who act like moms, too?" he checks. "Anyway, these are for you."

Jackie covers her mouth, overcome. "Sweetheart," she breathes, kneeling to hug Malcolm again and surreptitiously wiping a few stray tears before she stands up. "We have to get these in some water. They're so lovely! And you remembered my favorite candy. Thank you, baby." She strokes Malcolm's hair as she guides him into the kitchen, and he leans into her happily.

Gil leaves them to their pancake adventures- though he does agree to be their official taste tester. Malcolm masters regular pancakes and decides he wants to make banana walnut ones, and both versions are delicious. Gil pats his stomach contentedly as he tries the final version.

"Those are great, champ. She's going to love them," he assures the kid. Malcolm's smile is brighter than the sunflowers could ever hope to be.

That evening, Gil drives him home, his tupperware of pancakes, the little disks of sweetness separated neatly by sheets of parchment paper, held protectively in Malcolm's lap. Tomorrow, Gil will take his wife for a nice brunch and thank her for being the best 'bonus mom' ever to the kids he just decided to bring into their lives one day, without ever asking her. Malcolm will make his Mom her breakfast in bed, and Ainsley will present her flowers, and hopefully Jessica will smile and remember that however much her family has lost, they still have her- which is a hell of a lot.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? I burnt out writing PS months ago, and I wasn't sure I'd ever come back to it. But this little prompt was a lot of fun!


End file.
